1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for providing laser energy through a light guide. More particularly, the invention relates to a solid optical fiber coupled at its distal tip to a flexible liquid light guide capable of transmitting high power laser energy.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently in the art, to obtain high power laser energy, a relatively large solid optical fiber approximately 200.mu.-1000.mu. in diameter must be used. A problem in using such large diameter fibers is that they are relatively inflexible, and thus cannot be used in many applications where the fiber must be threaded through a restricted, convoluted passageway. Smaller (e.g., 200.mu. diameter), more flexible fibers are generally incapable of providing the same high level of laser power, since the maximum permissible output power is inversely proportional to the square of the fiber diameter. When smaller fibers transmit a high level of light flux, they begin to break down. Flexible liquid light guides have been used in the past (U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,934 to Nath, for example), but suffer from relatively large power losses due to absorption of the laser energy by the long length of liquid in the light guide. Thus, there remains a need for an efficient, flexible light guide capable of transmitting high power laser energy.